The New York Knicks have been one of the buzziest teams of this NBA postseason, thanks to a first-round series win over the Philadelphia 76ers and the play of Jalen Brunson, who continues to establish himself as a star and one of the best players in the NBA despite being left out of the conversation for every major individual award.
Currently engaged in a tough Eastern Conference Semifinal battle with the Indiana Pacers, there is no telling how the team’s story ends this season. How it should start next season is a little more obvious.
The Knicks currently possess two first round draft picks (Nos. 24 and 25) and the team may not be interested in holding onto both of them.
Sam Vecenie of The Athletic reported, “The Knicks are another team seen league-wide as a potential trade partner, as coach Tom Thibodeau is not likely to want multiple first-round rookies on his team. Additionally, the Knicks have generally tried to add more assets for the future to create more potential avenues to complete trades involving future draft picks.”
This year’s draft class is one of the weakest in recent memory so it is not a surprise that the team may not be inclined to hold onto two first round picks when it can potentially flip them for future picks or, even, another star this off-season.
As it should.
The Knicks are a contending team. They have pieces in place to make a run at the Eastern Conference title for the next two or three years. What they need is additional assets that they can then turn into another star to go along with Brunson, OG Anunoby, Julius Randle, Josh Hart, and Mitchell Robinson.
Hopefully, a star that can stay healthy given the injury issues facing the squad this season.
One NBA executive told Sean Deveney of Heavy that the Knicks were a “prime candidate” to acquire Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns given his displeasure with his role in the team’s offense this season.
A deal of that magnitude does not happen without assets and at least one of the team’s two No. 1 picks will certainly be a big help in making such a deal come to fruition.
If the team is happy with its core and wants to look toward the future, they could easily trade away one or both picks for selections in the future, where they can build a foundation for success long after Brunson and Co. are leading the way.
Regardless of the approach the organization takes, dealing the picks in 2024 is the right move for sustained success and one the best Knicks team in years must make.
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